We’re no strangers to stress. We’ve all suffered and suffer from it from time to time. Stress can contribute to a myriad of health issues including altering our thoughts and feelings, our bodies and even the way we behave when alone and with others. It can also cause bouts of insomnia and be detrimental to our productivity at work and our willpower to do any physical or mental activity. When left unchecked, stress can rise to dangerous levels and cause our life satisfaction to plummet. Also, studies have shown it can speed up and contribute to the development of numerous illnesses.
These four tips will help you deal with stress in a simple yet effective way:
- Take it easy. It might sound easier said than done, but beginning our day breathing properly and taking some me time to be with our thoughts helps us relax and stay collected.
- Food. There is no going around it. Good eating habits don´t just make you healthier and fitter, but keep your stress levels low. Avoiding sugar is highly recommended, as is drinking water and consuming enough proteins.
- Exercise. Even if stress might be taking away your willpower to do it, exercising is the best thing you can do to let off steam and raise your levels of endorphins, the hormones in our bodies responsible for causing an analgesic (pain-relieving) effect.
- Sleep habits. Unfortunately, getting a good night´s sleep often seems like a hard task to do in our highly paced environment where it seems we need to be alert constantly. For many people, waking up in the middle of the night due to stress is not uncommon. You should always try to sleep at the same time, get 7 to 8 hours of rest, and last but not least, as hard as it might be, put down your phone or any device that hinders your ability to get proper sleep time.